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Don't be that hursh on yourself. I may not be absolutely original but its a pretty good challenge. As I said, it isn't less fun to do just because someone tried it first.

I'm still amazed by the record holders (which are pretty darn close). Thanks @ChillPlayer for digging them out! Edit: re-reading the whole thread is also a great learning experience. The progression in how to attack the route was really enlightening in terms of how to move across these regions.

But looks like its also confusing to share your current "end time" with the current game mechanics

It's definitely a challenge with the new way time survived is being recorded. Really wish the devs brought back the old way.

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My time: 1d 11h 25m. (I had to sleep an extra hour after firing the shot to save.)

My distress pistol shot:

I wrote up my journey, but it's long so I'll hide it in a spoiler so it doesn't distract from the thread.

I got a great starting spot in DP, right next to the exit. I ducked into the mine and immediately looted a knife, a hacksaw and a flare. I used the flare to get through the mine and found another at the far end. (Also food but that seemed plentiful everywhere.) A little wolf dodging through the transition zone got me a shirt and mittens at the basement. On to CH waterfront houses where I found a sweater and cotton toque.

Like @RossBondReturns I spent more time than I should have looting houses. I really wanted coffee, but never found any. The aurora kicked in and I wanted to get under cover -- the mine to PV was my goal. I cut across the lake but met two aurora wolves at the log sort. Wrestled one (thank you knife!) and scared the other off with a campfire. I made it to the mine, and through it thanks to two more flares. At the far end I decided to sleep for 6 hours. When I woke up there was no more aurora, just a blizzard.

YASSSS! I crossed PV to the abandoned cache without meeting a single wolf, picking up some painkillers at the broken houses. I built a fire at the outdoor stove and dropped my clothes next to it to dry out while I grabbed two more hours of sleep. Then up the rope and off to the Hut, which had a ski jacket for me.

I decided to go for the coffee immediately, despite being fully exhausted. I headed for Cave of Engines (TM @Drifter Man) via the no-rope route, through the cave and down to the nearest cargo container. There were two wolves patrolling, but a campfire at the container kept them from bothering me. My reward: 35 coffee!

Back to cave to cook up 10 coffee, which I sipped on my way to the deer clearing rope. It was getting dark and I really didn't want to tussle with more aurora wolves so I turned left at the top and billy-goated over the mountain to the next rope. Sprained both wrists and an ankle, of course -- I hate that route. But yay painkillers. Drank the rest of the coffee and ascended the rope just as the Aurorae showed up for the evening.

At the summit rope end of the next cave I stopped to drop fill my stomach, drop everything I no longer needed, and make 10 more coffee, which I sipped as I walked to the summit rope. Up to the first ledge, then a stop for more coffee sipping. Just enough, apparently, because the last couple meters were... suspenseful.

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My time: 1d 11h 25m. (I had to sleep an extra hour after firing the shot to save.)

My distress pistol shot:

I wrote up my journey, but it's long so I'll hide it in a spoiler so it doesn't distract from the thread.

Reveal hidden contents

I got a great starting spot in DP, right next to the exit. I ducked into the mine and immediately looted a knife, a hacksaw and a flare. I used the flare to get through the mine and found another at the far end. (Also food but that seemed plentiful everywhere.) A little wolf dodging through the transition zone got me a shirt and mittens at the basement. On to CH waterfront houses where I found a sweater and cotton toque.

Like @RossBondReturns I spent more time than I should have looting houses. I really wanted coffee, but never found any. The aurora kicked in and I wanted to get under cover -- the mine to PV was my goal. I cut across the lake but met two aurora wolves at the log sort. Wrestled one (thank you knife!) and scared the other off with a campfire. I made it to the mine, and through it thanks to two more flares. At the far end I decided to sleep for 6 hours. When I woke up there was no more aurora, just a blizzard.

YASSSS! I crossed PV to the abandoned cache without meeting a single wolf, picking up some painkillers at the broken houses. I built a fire at the outdoor stove and dropped my clothes next to it to dry out while I grabbed two more hours of sleep. Then up the rope and off to the Hut, which had a ski jacket for me.

I decided to go for the coffee immediately, despite being fully exhausted. I headed for Cave of Engines (TM @Drifter Man) via the no-rope route, through the cave and down to the nearest cargo container. There were two wolves patrolling, but a campfire at the container kept them from bothering me. My reward: 35 coffee!

Back to cave to cook up 10 coffee, which I sipped on my way to the deer clearing rope. It was getting dark and I really didn't want to tussle with more aurora wolves so I turned left at the top and billy-goated over the mountain to the next rope. Sprained both wrists and an ankle, of course -- I hate that route. But yay painkillers. Drank the rest of the coffee and ascended the rope just as the Aurorae showed up for the evening.

At the summit rope end of the next cave I stopped to drop fill my stomach, drop everything I no longer needed, and make 10 more coffee, which I sipped as I walked to the summit rope. Up to the first ledge, then a stop for more coffee sipping. Just enough, apparently, because the last couple meters were... suspenseful.

Finally, the distress pistol as shown above.

Congrats Ruru! Looks like @RossBondReturns (or anyone else!) will have to work hard to beat that record!

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Congrats Ruru! Looks like @RossBondReturns (or anyone else!) will have to work hard to beat that record!

The time can definitely be better. I had a stim on me, found while searching CH for coffee. I think that will still get you up the summit rope even if you are fully exhausted -- assuming you are not overburdened. Not 100% sure though, I haven't tested this since FC. But I forgot I had the stim and blew 3 hours making water/coffee for the ascent.

With luck, you might find coffee in CH. Not sure if it was just bad luck or if Stalker loot really is less these days. But assuming you find coffee in CH, loot the water to brew it and I bet you could shave a few more hours off by sleeping less.

Thanks ChillPlayer for the recognition. It's always nice to get a little notice once in awhile for small contributions to the game.

One of the things that I've always been impressed with about with Hinterlands, was their willingness to seriously consider suggestions made by its loyal patrons, on ways to improve the game. I've never experienced that interaction with ANY other game creator in over 20 years of gaming.

The Sea to Summit New Years Challenge, which I'm told is the basis for the Hopeless Rescue Challenge, I'm proud to say is actually my second suggestion that made it into The Long Dark. The first suggestion was a thread I started a few months earlier about having an archery target in the game to practice with the bow and arrow. "Lo and Behold", an update or two later, there was an Archery Target by the barn in Pleasant Valley.

Now, almost 2 years later, it might be interesting to try the Sea to Summit challenge again because there have been many changes that I believe would slow the times down considerably........at least for me anyway. Scyzara, (the freak gamer that she is) would probably blast right through them and improve on her already absurdly fast record! Her times are absolutely mind bending how someone can be that fast!

For 1 thing, it seems like more wolves have been added to a few "key" areas that would make travel more treacherous.

And in at least 1 area, the terrain has been changed from a gentle slope to a cliff with a rope, above Coastal Village.

Anyway, It's nice to see folks still trying to come up with new ideas to enhance an already iconic game!!